title: Immunoglobulin and hepatitis B surface antigen-specific circulating immune complexes in chronic hepatitis with hepatitis delta virus infection.
abstract: IgM, IgG, and HBsAg containing circulating immune complexes (CIC) were determined, by conglutinin (K) and C1q assays, for assessing the role of CIC in hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection in 54 HBsAg-negative controls and 85 HBsAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis. The prevalence of HDV markers (HDV antigen and anti-HD) was 24.70% (21/85). CIC were a common feature of HDV infection with 95.24% of patients having at least one abnormal test result. The prevalence of elevated IgM-K, IgG-K, IgM-C1q, and IgG-C1q CIC were 85.71, 85.71, 57.14, and 85.71%, respectively. The prevalence of IgM class CIC were statistically higher in patients with HDV infection than in those without (P = .001 for the K assay and P = .023 for the C1q assay). There was no difference in the prevalence of IgG class CIC. Patients with HDV infection also have significantly higher median levels of IgM K-CIC (P = .002), IgG K-CIC (P = .049), and IgG C1q-CIC (P = .008). In patients with HDV infection, there was positive correlation between IgM C1q-CIC and transaminase levels (r = .519, P = .016 for AST; r = .500, P = .021 for ALT). There was no difference in the prevalence of HBsAg containing CIC between patients with HDV infection (76.19%) and those without (74.60%). In conclusion, IgM class CIC are the major CIC and correlate with disease activity in HDV infection. CIC may play a role in the pathogenesis of HDV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical College, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: O V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Nainan
authors.forename: W Y
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tsai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D005260:Female; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007136:Immunoglobulins